My Little Dashie: The Colours of Love
by Nazgul67
Summary: Rainbow Dash brushes off her nervousness, as she enters the next Best Fliers competition. She must brave her fear of failure, and perform Sonic Rainboom for the judges. For her friends. For her dad.


_It has been seventeen years. Seventeen years of your world, and..I guess a few in Equestria. But that didn't matter. I can't recall the last time I saw your face, Dad. I can't remember the last time I heard your voice. All that is left in my memory, is the time we parted.  
Your face was stained with tears. The bitter tears in my eyes were stinging like nettles, blinding my sight partially. I dont even remember how you look like. Celestia only kept your presence in my mind, and nothing else.  
But I know you can remember me. I know you remember better than I can. I know, somewhere deep inside, I'm alive and present in your heart.  
After all those years, I just only wanted to say, Dad - Thank you. You were always there when I needed you. Always there to console me when I was trapped in my misery each night. Always there to cheer me up, when I felt down. Always there...to care for me during my younger years.  
Dad, there is no way I can express my gratitude. You're the very meaning of awesome, even more awesome than the plane-stunt show we watched, that one Christmas. I hope you understand, Dad.  
I love you._

"Rainbow Dash," a coffee pegasus called out. Her voice was as stern as her frowned face. She stared down to the pegasus, who was crawled up in a ball, shuddering, staring at the night sky. "It's your turn."

Rainbow Dash shivered furiously, and said nothing.

The pegasus glared at her. "I said," she repeated. She didn't seem to care about Rainbow's unstable-ness. "It's your turn. Your number came up."

Rainbow Dash shook her head quickly. She remembered the last time she had a performance here. She did manage to pull off a Sonic Rainboom, save Rarity's life, hang out with the Wonder-bolts, and win the "Best Flier" award. But that was dumb luck. She knew she couldn't do another Sonic Rainboom. All her training efforts failed, why should the real thing succeed?

"Do you want to do this, or do I have to mark you with a fail?" the pegasus asked once more, her stern cruel glare fixed upon the poor filly.

At the sound of the word "fail", Rainbow Dash sighed, and finally stood up. She straightened her wings. "Coming," muttered the rainbow-maned pegasus, as she stepped out into the stadium.

"Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!"

The crowds cheered like lunatics, when she stepped out. They remembered her brave acts, and they especially remembered her Sonic Rainboom. They somehow expected a lot from the poor pegasus, which made her nervousness way worse than she thought.

Rainbow bit her lower lip, as she gazed around at the judgemental crowds. This...was not going to be so easy...

"Oh look, it's that show-off filly again...Let's see you make a foal of yourself, Rainbow Crash!" the bullies shouted, cupping their hooves around their mouths, for a louder effect.

Rainbow Dash straightened her wings once more, ready for flight. She fell into her position, before pushing off the ground, propelling herself up into the air, with her wings.

She hovered in the air, wings flapping. She managed to steal a quick glance at her friends, who were cheering her on - the loudest, being the now-confident Fluttershy.

"Don't worry, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight cried out, even more confident in her friend than ever. "You've done it before, and you can do it again! Just focus!"

"She's right as hay in a bundle, sugarcube!" AppleJack joined in. "Forget 'em bullies, and give it yer best!"

Rarity seemed to be a little ashamed to be at the stadium again, but it didn't stop her from cheering as loud as the others. "Come on, darling, give it your best!"

Rainbow Dash waved at them, and put on a fake daring grin, before bolting up to the top of the stadium. Her hoof raised to her head, she shouted, "Got it! Rainbow Dash – moving out!"

She zoomed up above, and disappeared into the clouds, leaving everypony craning their necks to try and make out where the hay she was.

Rainbow couldn't care less. If only she could say that she was too concentrated to notice – but that was seemingly not the case.

Trying her hardest to keep focus, she gulped, and took a deep breath. "The routine...the routine..." she whispered to herself. "Phase One..."

She swooped down, to a long array of cloud pillars. _Come on! I'm the most awesome, number one flier in Equestria! This is a piece of cake! But if it is..._ She gulped once more. _Why the hay am I so nervous?_

"We're right behind you, darling!" Rarity shrieked, and Pinkie Pie was flailing around, and waving her hooves in the air. This didn't amuse Rarity. "As I was trying to say...Try your best, okay?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. _I can do this. I've done it before, I can do it again._

She bit her lip, and rubbed both hooves onto each other. _I'm ready!_

But as soon as she got to the second pillar, she went off course, and smashed against a wall.

The bullies scornfully laughed, mocking her as they did. "Best flier, huh?" somepony questioned, his voice dripping with dark sarcasm.

"Ooh," Twilight muttered to herself. "That must've hurt."

She shouted over the crowd's gasps, to Rainbow, "Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?!"

Rainbow Dash nodded, placing her hoof above her fore-head. She was fine, just a bit dizzy. Shaking her head clear of it, she carried on to her next part of the routine. "Phase two!"

This time, she attempted something different from her former routine. Instead of the usual fly-around-clouds, she decided maybe she could easier pull off the "Bunkeneer Blaze".

It'll be less of a let-down if she failed, and more of a win if she succeeded.

But in her mind, she heard the bullies' jeers and mockery.

"Ha! She calls herself the Best Flier? More like Best Liar."

"Yeah, Rainbow Crash. How much money did you spend on your hospital bills?"

And then followed cruel laughter and mocking comfort.

Rainbow felt herself sinking inside. Was she really up for the task? She gained speed, by doing random zig-zag dashes, and it was only when she charged up into the air, that she was overcome by her fear of failure, and she lost her speed, and crashed into another wall. Again.

The bullies' laughter started all over again.

The crowd gasped once more, biting their hooves in anxiety for the filly.

"Phase Three...the S-Sonic Rainboom..." Rainbow Dash grunted. She screamed in frustration, and shouted to her friends, "I can't do it!"

"Yes, you can!" Twilight shouted back. "Believe in yourself, Rainbow! You did it last time - you can do it again."

Pinkie Pie screamed over the wind, "Do it for us, Dashie!"

"Do it for yerself," AppleJack added, with a smug grin.

"Do it for Equestria," Fluttershy whispered.

"Do it for your Dad!" Rarity screamed, her natural drama adding to the intensity.

Tears welled up in Rainbow's eyes, as she heard her unicorn friend say, "Dad."

One by one, millions of pictures and memories flashed through her mind.

A tear dropped from her cheek, despite her efforts at holding it back.  
_  
Dad...I've never found a way to tell you how much I love you. I never found a way to tell you how grateful I am. Dad, I will do this for you!_

Rainbow Dash turned to the crowd. With a burning zeal and fiery passion, she bolted upwards.

As she gained speed, she thought more and more of her Dad. How much she missed him. How much she loved him. How much she wished she could be with him.

Tears reached her eyes, not of sorrow or joy, but rather because of all the force she exerted into her act.

Pushing herself to the limits, she zoomed up miles above the stadium, so fast a thin white layer was now forming near her front hooves. When high enough, she swooped down, the layer becoming bigger and bigger.

Dad...daddy...dad. She could not get that word out of her head. As if she were running away from something, she pushed harder, and harder.

Her friends gasped, eyes twinkling with excitement. The white layer was now rather thick, and bright red.

Rainbow Dash lost control of what she was doing. Her mind was completely somewhere else now, somewhere in the strange world of human beings. Humans who loved ponies, and humans who couldn't see the fuss over them. _I love you, Dad!_

The words echoed in her head, as she shouted them at herself, even though her mouth didn't move a bit.

A large explosion was heard, mixed with the excited cries of joy, wonder, awe and admiration from the crowd. The six colours of the rainbow spread across the sky, as everypony looked on, with their greatest excitement and joy.

The rainbow flow of her mane died down, and once she landed, Rainbow Dash collapsed to the ground, exhausted. That was the biggest Rainboom she had done so far.

Everypony in Equestria saw it - whether in Ponyville, Canterlot, Manehatten or Fillydelphia. But she had no idea how big it was. She had no idea, that not only ponies were looking at her masterpiece.

"Look there!" someone cried out, pointing a finger at a distant colour in the sky. Or should I say SIX colours, for by now, the six colours of the rainbow were spreading across the evening sky like an aurora.

As the Rainboom swept over the Earth, more and more humans gathered, staring on with wonder and admiration, just like how people would stare at an ancient artifact or jewelled dagger. But forget them, this was possibly the most beautiful thing the human world had experienced in years, and years from now, it might even have entered into a history book, or a nusery fairybook.

"It's almost just like Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom!" another cried out.

"It's probably just the world changing or some'in," another groaned, in a pessimistic voice.

But only one knew what it really was or where it came from.

Amongst the human crowd, was a middle-aged man. He was wearing a Rainbow Dash hoodie, and held a hand-stitched Rainbow Dash plushie in his hands. He couldn't believe his eyes. Just as he despaired that she had forgotten him, she had done it. Rainbow Dash...had done a Sonic Rainboom.

His heart exploded twice, as memories flashed back into his mind. "Dashie..." he muttered, staring at the Rainboom with a fatherly love. Tears formed in his eyes. "MY little Dashie..."

A new feeling had overcome Rainbow's body. It was a mixture of joy, love, sorrow, exhaustion, and even ecstasy. She felt like a whole new pony. Rainbow Dash panted, wiping the sweat off her forehead with her hoof.

"You did it, Rainbow! Oh, I told you, you could!" Twilight cried out, rushing to meet her pegasus friend.

"Thanks, guys," Rainbow panted, a smile reaching her face. "You were all *pant* awesome."

Pinkie Pie shouted, "Aww, come here, everypony!"

She enforced Rainbow and the other mane six into a group hug, and there was just a moment of friendship, cheers, and

"You did it, Rainbow Dash," Rarity muttered, tears spilling out of her eyes. "I knew you would, darling – I just knew you would!"

"I think this will make quite a letter to the Princess," Twilight declared, as she magically lifted a quill and letter. She turned to Rainbow Dash, raising an eyebrow. "Rainbow - do you want to write the letter?"

"Oh..uh.." Rainbow confessed. She pushed herself off the ground, and stood up. She sighed contently, and muttered, "Sorry, Twi. I sorta have another letter to write. Maybe next time, okay?"

This left the others in confusion. It only made Rainbow laugh to see their priceless faces. But laughing put aside, there was serious things at hoof.

_Dear Dad,  
Thank you for being there for me. I hope you saw the Sonic Rainboom I did in your honor - really, I couldn't have done it without you! Thanks, Dad. You're awesome.  
I'm trying my hardest not to be sappy - because that's just not cool - but it's hard to, when being honest. Dad, thank you for all the inspiration - for all the motivation you've given me these past few years.  
You didn't think I'd forget you, did you, Dad? Because just remember - even though I've grown up now, I'll always be -  
Your Little Dashie.  
Lots of Love,  
Rainbow Dash xxx_


End file.
